IPVanish VPN Review 2026: Our Hands-On Testing

Speed and Performance

In a word: IPVanish is fast. We ran speed tests on a nearby U.S. server, a mid-distance European server, and a distant server in Australia. The drop-off from our baseline stayed modest even at the farthest distance. That lines up with our dedicated VPN speed comparison, where IPVanish ranked as one of the fastest VPNs overall.

IPVanish was fast enough that we streamed a 4K Netflix movie on the distant Australian server without a single buffering wheel. Video calls were clear and glitch-free on the mid-distance server, and a round of mobile gaming over the nearby U.S. server showed no noticeable lag. Even a 5 GB game update we ran as a test finished close to the time we’d expect with no VPN running at all.

That said, it’s worth pointing out that latency typically increases as the server you’re connected to moves farther away. That’s normal for any VPN, but in case you’re here looking for a gaming VPN, there are a few better options out there. Our top picks are NordVPN for mobile gaming and Surfshark for desktop and console gaming.

Privacy and Security

IPVanish backs up its speed with a privacy setup that covers all the basics. We looked at the protocols and encryption on offer, then put the service through leak testing to see how it holds up.

Encryption and VPN Protocols

IPVanish gives you a choice of three VPN protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec.

WireGuard is the default, offering fast speeds with balanced security. It uses ChaCha20 encryption, which is built for fast, efficient performance on phones and other low-power devices. In contrast, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec rely on AES-256 encryption. This is the same standard used by banks and governments, and is best if you prioritize privacy over speed. IPVanish also offers LAN blocking, which stops other devices on a shared network from communicating with yours while you’re connected to the VPN.

For added anonymity, IPVanish’s Double Hop feature routes your traffic through two separate servers instead of one, doubling the encryption along the way. This is also known as VPN multi-hop, and is a common feature among the most secure VPNs. Like Surfshark, IPVanish lets you pick your own entry and exit points from its 150+ server locations. That’s worth noting. Most VPNs we tested that offer a multi-hop feature have pre-set server pairs. You can’t change your multi-hopped IP address to any particular location — only the select exit locations supported.

Leak Tests

We ran IP address, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests on five servers spread across three continents (the U.S., the U.K., and Australia). Our team even checked each server three times over the course of a week. That’s 45 individual tests in total. And the result? No leaks. IPVanish passed each test, so no real IP address, DNS request, or browser-level leak made it outside the encrypted tunnel during our testing.

Features

IPVanish doesn’t try to be everything to everyone — something we’re seeing more from other top VPNs. NordVPN, for instance, now offers a “next-gen antivirus” as part of its VPN suite, alongside other features like identity protection and identity theft insurance. IPVanish chose a more straightforward approach. It offers a VPN that works, with few but useful features that help up well during testing. Unlimited simultaneous connections is the standout to us. We ran the VPN on six devices at once without hitting a cap or noticing any drop in performance. Here are other features worth noting.

• Threat Protection Pro. Powered by VIPRE’s threat intelligence, this always-on feature blocks malicious websites, downloads, ads, and trackers. In our testing, it blocked 14 of 15 known malicious test URLs from a sample list we ran against it. We even noticed that it kept working after we manually disconnected the VPN, which means it’s an always-on protection.
• Secure Browser. For when a private browser is not enough, IPVanish offers a secure browsing environment available on the Advanced plan. It’s designed to isolate online threats so nothing reaches the local device. We used it to visit a deliberately sketchy torrent site, and no cookies or local files were left behind after closing the session.
• Cloud Backup. It’s more of a miscellaneous feature, but IPVanish also includes an encrypted cloud storage powered by Livedrive, bundled into the Advanced plan. It’s not meant to store all your backup files. Instead, we recommend using it to store important files (e.g. soft copies of important documents) as protection in case your local device is hit by malware.
• Kill switch. This is a necessary VPN feature that keeps you anonymous even if the VPN suddenly drops by force-stopping your online activities. However, we found that not all VPN kill switches work the same way. We forced five manual disconnects to test IPVanish’s kill switch, and it cut our connection within a second every time.
• Split tunneling. While not as necessary an the kill switch, split tunneling is useful. It lets you pick which traffic routes through the VPN (and is thus encrypted) and which ones route outside the tunnel. IPVanish’s split tunneling let us route select apps outside the VPN tunnel without issue.

Between the base Threat Protection included with Essential and the fuller Threat Protection Pro suite on higher tiers, IPVanish offers more than a typical VPN-only service but less than cybersecurity leaders like NordVPN and Surfshark do. Thankfully, even with its richer-than-most feature set, IPVanish doesn’t turn the app into a cluttered mess of upsells. That brings us to our next topic — living with IPVanish day-to-day.

User Experience

IPVanish’s apps have a dashboard-style layout. We were presented with a map view that let us tap a country to connect rather than scrolling through a list. On desktop, protocol switching, the kill switch toggle, and Double Hop are all accessible from the main settings screen. That’s a plus. Everyday VPN users can still customize their connection without digging through endless menus. The layout’s simplicity and customizability reminded us of when we tested Private Internet Access.

IPVanish’s mobile apps mirror the desktop layout, which we appreciated since we didn’t have to relearn the interface. Setup on both platforms was quick: download, log in, and connect, with no manual configuration needed if you just want the VPN running in the background. If you want to fine-tune protocols or set up Double Hop routes, those options are easy to find. If you’d rather not touch any of that, the defaults work fine on their own.

Pricing

IPVanish offers two plans: Essential and Advanced. Both are available on monthly, one-year, and two-year terms. Long-term plans bring the price down substantially, but like most VPNs we’ve tested, renewal rates jump significantly after the first term. That’s why we suggest picking the two-year plan. You get the lowest rates and enjoy the discounted first-term price longer.

If you’re worried about buyer’s remorse, both plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee on the one-year and two-year terms, so you can test the service risk-free before committing long-term. The Essential plan covers the core VPN, while Advanced adds the Secure Browser, cloud backup, and phone support on top. If you’re only after a VPN and don’t need the extras, Essential’s two-year rate is the one we recommend.

How IPVanish Compares to NordVPN and Surfshark

NordVPN and Surfshark currently sit atop our list of the best VPNs, but where does IPVanish rank? Device limits and pricing structure are where these three VPNs diverge the most. IPVanish and Surfshark both allow unlimited simultaneous connections. NordVPN caps it at 10 devices. That might not be enough to cover a full household of phones, laptops, tablets, and streaming devices on one account.

On price, Surfshark’s cheapest long-term plan is in the same ballpark as IPVanish. NordVPN’s pricing is closer to IPVanish’s renewal jump.

Where NordVPN pulls ahead is scale and jurisdiction. NordVPN operates thousands more servers across a wider footprint. The headquarters are also based in Panama, outside the surveillance-sharing alliances that cover both the U.S. (IPVanish’s HQ) and the Netherlands (Surfshark’s HQ). We might be nitpicking here, but those details are worth knowing if you’re particularly privacy-conscious.

IPVanish has a leaner but still substantial network. It also includes features like Double Hop and Threat Protection Pro that most budget options don’t offer. Surfshark splits the difference: a Netherlands base, a smaller server count than NordVPN, but a price point that’s hard for either competitor to touch. For a closer look at how these and other providers stack up side by side, see our VPN comparison guide.

If you prioritize device coverage without blowing out the budget, IPVanish and Surfshark both work well for you. If you favor privacy and server scale more heavily, you’ll likely lean toward NordVPN despite the higher starting price.